Rainfall
by Lightfrost
Summary: Twelve-year-old Holly Hyacinth always lived a fairly normal life... until Kyogre's storm washed away everything she once knew.
1. Chapter 1

**Looks like I'm writing another story that ends with "fall." It's a default name, really - suggestions would be appreciated! I already have the first three chapters written out for this one, and I have an actual plan for where this story is headed. Hopefully that means I'll at least get farther along in this than in "Waterfalls", but don't accept any promises. :P Enjoy!**

It was a cold, crisp day in the middle of autumn. Large leaves, as vibrant in color as a Rapidash's fiery mane, fell softly to the earthy ground. Thin, pale clouds stretched across the clear blue sky. Amidst all the bright hues surrounding it, a dark flash of fur stood out visibly as it dashed towards a secluded cottage.

The minute gray blur slowed to halt beside the little house. As its speed decreased, it revealed itself to be a Poochyena, somewhat small in stature for its species. The tiny Dark-type leaped through the opened window with relative ease.

A young girl who appeared to be around twelve was sitting on a plush chair in the room on the other side, reading what seemed to be a guidebook of sorts. She had dark hair, a brown shade almost indistinguishable from black, fashioned in a short bob. Despite the low-maintenance style she had it in, it somehow managed to be unkempt. Her eyes were a grayish-green and freckles sprinkled her features. She wore an old white T-shirt and faded jeans, obscured by a turquoise jacket and a scarf that matched the shirt to combat the breeze. She smiled in greeting at the sight of the Pokémon.

"Hey, Ani! It's nice outside today, isn't it?" the girl asked the Poochyena cheerfully. "I was just reading a guide on contests - did you know that Sinnoh has them, too? Of course, I'm sure our region's are better. Hoenn did found them, after all! If we want to participate-"

Looking back up at Ani, her smile faltered and she cut off abruptly. The Poochyena's fur was bristling - more than it naturally did, anyway - and her eyes glinted with a tense fear.

The girl instantly became unnerved. There wasn't much that frightened Ani. Any time that she looked that way signaled the coming of something disastrous.

Ani turned her head back to the room pointedly before exiting through the window, sending a clear message for the dark-haired child to do the same. The girl hurriedly tossed a small pack with the name "Holly Hyacinth" embroidered across its front over one shoulder before following suit.

The fallen leaves crunched beneath the feet of trainer and Pokémon as they ran. Holly was slowly beginning to sense something in her surroundings as the wind whipped her face. Something... off. Though the the weather previously seemed normal, the air was rapidly growing more humid in a way she'd never experienced before. Perhaps that had to do with Ani's actions?

The Poochyena rushed to a tall tree she could find out of the many in Petalburg Woods. Not hesitating for even one moment, she dug her claws into the bark and began to climb with a desperate pace. Holly, confused and panicked, followed her Pokémon, grabbing the branches and hauling herself up with a swiftness gained through years of living in a house in the forest. The sharp twigs tugged at her clothes and tore a hole in the knee of her jeans, but she was too focused on escaping the ground to care.

Eventually, the two reached a large grotto amongst the tangle of bark. The overarching limbs were thick with leaves and provided a fairly secure shelter, with only one gap in the foliage to peer through at the surrounding area.

"Why are we here, Ani?" Holly questioned, her voice tremulous. Before the little Pokémon could motion any kind of reply, Holly's BuzzNav went off inside her bag. The reception was bad and the reporter's voice repeatedly halted. Little did the girl know that the same problem was occurring across the entire region.

"Kyogre - Groudon - heavy rain - west - east - harsh sunlight -"

The broadcast shut off spontaneously as rain began to pelt the land with an unforgiving force.


	2. Chapter 2

The time inched by slowly, held back by the weight of dread encompassing the storm-wracked atmosphere. All Holly could do was wait. She frequently shifted her gaze from Ani, just a trembling bundle of dark fur, to the precariously swaying tree limbs enveloping her, to the slight opening in the thick leaves. Rain forced its way through the intertwined branches despite their shelter; the girl's clothing was soaked through.

Holly had never been more terrified in her life. Why was this, of all things, happening on what had been such a nice day previously? She tried to convince herself that it was only rough weather, that it would all clear up soon. But she knew the thought wasn't true. The reporter had mentioned "Kyogre" and "Groudon" - creatures of myth that were told to have created the land and sea.

Obviously she didn't believe that THEY were the cause. The duo of legend were just mere fairy tales, made to give reasoning for the formation of ocean and dry ground. Holly was a person firmly rooted in reality, for the most part - there were exceptions, but their numbers were very few. Though she occasionally enjoyed experiencing tales woven by talented authors and storytellers, she had trouble getting as involved in the fantasy plots as many others. Due to this, she preferred nonfiction.

"Maybe he was just comparing what's happening right now to the story of Groudon and Kyogre," she murmured, half to Ani and half to herself. "But... that doesn't explain why you acted so strangely, Ani... and wouldn't Groudon mean a drought, too?" She trailed off, pondering the situation.

A loud clap of thunder interrupted her thoughts. The sound caused Holly to stand up with a start, the smooth bark beneath her bare feet quivering slightly.

"Lightning is drawn to tall objects!" she said in a strained whisper. "But it's not like there would've been other safe places to go - the water's rising too quickly!"

Sure enough, the unnatural rain had already climbed multiple feet above the forest floor. It surged in a powerful current that slapped the trees' trunks mercilessly. Though Holly couldn't see it, half of the little cottage had already been swept away by the storm.

"I-if we're not struck by lightning first, then the flood will take us instead..." the young girl squeaked, panic overtaking her voice. Ani looked up, her large crimson eyes filling with the same look of fear.

Holly despised being helpless, but what was there to do? Jumping from tree to tree would be too risky, and it'd take far too long to get out of Petalburg Woods in time. Jumping into the current was just stupid and would probably get both of them killed. The best option was to stay there... to continue waiting just as they had before, hoping the storm would cease before lightning struck or the water level rose too high.

Slowly sitting back down, the child picked up Ani, not only for her Poochyena's comfort but for her own. Tears welled up in her eyes. She was considered strong-willed by her peers at Hoenn's Trainer's School, always determined to get the best grades and to earn victory in battle assessments - but now, when the time really called for it, she could do absolutely nothing. She was trapped unexpectedly in a disaster larger than life. Staring out at the chaos surrounding her, Holly began to cry.

Painful minutes crawled by. Every passing moment made the threat of the current more real, and the shelter had been battered so that the unyielding rain grew increasingly powerful. More time. The flood had risen to Holly's feet; Ani had been returned to her Pokéball and stowed in the young trainer's backpack as she clung to a branch for dear life. She could soon feel the rushing waves loosening her grip...

"Hey!"

A woman's voice, stifled yet loud enough to be heard through the roaring storm. A shadowed figure atop a huge bird Pokémon swooped down to Holly's location, reaching out a hand to the girl. She willingly took it with the last of her energy. As soon as she had been lifted upon the large Flying-type, darkness spread across her eyes and she fell unconscious...


	3. Chapter 3

When Holly awoke, the first thing she saw was a gradually darkening blue sky with gentle clouds scudding across its surface. _The weather's like this morning..._ she thought through a haze of weariness. Shifting around, she felt a soft, cloud-like material beneath her. The girl hardly wanted to get up with how comfortable it was; however, she decided it would be better to sit up and scope out her situation.

Upon doing so, she let out a gasp. The fluffy surface she had been lying on was an Altaria, soaring high above the Hoenn region! The ocean surrounding her in the distance was a sparkling mass of dark blue. The towns below looked like tiny toy cities, scattered throughout the deep green of the rainforest trees. The most outstanding sight, however, was the nearby Mt. Chimney, towering, a thin veil of smoke emerging from its peak.

Holly could only stare in awe at everything until a voice brought her to attention. "Oh, look! You finally woke up."

Snapping her head around, Holly turned to face the woman who must have been the one that rescued her. She was clad in an almost entirely red costume of some sort - maybe a uniform? - consisting of a short hoodie with a black logo printed across its front, red shorts, gloves, and matching shoes, all layered over darker underclothing and socks. Medium-length reddish hair framed her face, which featured a pointed nose and large hazel eyes.

"You poor thing, caught out in that storm. Are you alright?"

Holly nodded slowly. "Yeah... I think so. I'm a bit tired still, but..." It was more than just exhaustion. She didn't know if her home had endured the heavy rain. She didn't know how well the forest had held up. She didn't know if her parents survived... "Thank you for rescuing me." She hid the emotions as best she could.

"It was no problem. Nobody deserves to be trapped in the chaos that Team Aqua caused..."

"Team Aqua?" the younger girl inquired, hoping that curiousity would temporarily fight off her inevitable despondency. Immediately she wondered if she was meant to ask that question, for the woman's face flashed with rage. However, her tone was calm when she spoke.

"I'm not angry at you, don't worry," she said to Holly, apparently having sensed her unease. "I'm angry at THEM. They're the ones who unleashed Kyogre to cause this disaster."

"You mean... Kyogre... it exists?" Holly's features clearly expressed her incredulity.

"Yep, and so does Groudon," came the red-cloaked lady's even reply. "You must have missed the news. Not very surprising, given your situation at the time. Here, take a look."

Reaching into a small pack on her waist, the young woman took out a BuzzNav. Red, of course. Announcements burst into life on the screen as soon as she turned it on, depicting two huge beasts. Two Pokémon that looked almost exactly like the tales described them. Kyogre and Groudon.

Watching further, Holly saw that Kyogre had dominated almost all of Hoenn, with Groudon only taking the very easternmost portion. After a few hours, all the weather had died out due to mysterious circumstances and both creatures retreated back towards their homes.

Holly looked up from the screen with blank shock plastered across her face. Seeing this, the hazel-eyed lady gave the girl an understanding look. "It must be terrible, going through what you have and then finding out this." She paused for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking now, what's your name? I think it'd be easier for us to talk if we both know each other." Her words remained sympathetic.

"Holly. Holly Hyacinth," replied the short-haired girl quietly. She wasn't sure why she was giving away her last name - maybe because it was on her backpack and would have been discovered anyway.

"Hello there, Holly," replied the uniformed woman with a comforting smile. "My name is Rose, and I'm a member of Team Magma. Oh, well how about that! We're almost here!"

"Almost where?" asked Holly, before looking around. They were soaring low now, at the foot of Mt. Chimney. There, a small entrance seemed to be carved into the brown rock.

"Team Magma's base!" Rose answered jovially.


End file.
